Daily Archives: May 8, 2013

By LINDSAY WELBERS Staff Writer The Chicago Police Department has not released any new information following the murder of 39-year-old Henry Atkins last week. Police News Affairs said the shooting occurred at 12:15 a.m. on Tuesday, April 30, in the hallway of a building on the 5200 block of Harper Avenue. Lewis Galvin, a resident(…)

The 54th annual Hyde Park Garden Fair is just around the corner, and organizers are still welcoming volunteers to assist in preparation for the local growing celebration and sale. Each year, the organizing committee for the fair prepare a collection of offerings from 10 separate categories of plants, including herbs, house plants, vegetables and wildflowers.(…)

The Chicago Plan Commission will hear about the planned development for Vue 53, the proposal to construct a 13-story residential and retail building at 1330 E. 53rd St., at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, in Council Chambers, City Hall, second floor 121 N. LaSalle St. The plan commission will have the opportunity to hear(…)

Architect Patrick M. Rosen will join his father, Michael B. Rosen, at Rosen Architecture, 53 W. Jackson Boulevard. Both are Hyde Park residents. Rosen Architecture, which has designed and remodeled commercial and residential buildings in Chicago and across the country, is 68 years old. “When considering all of Patrick’s capabilities and experience, it would have(…)

The Seminary Co-Op Bookstore will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, May 11. Author Aleksander Hemon will deliver the keynote address at 3 p.m. Hemon is the author of “Nowhere Man” and “The Lazarus Project” and is the editor of Dalkey Archive Press’ Best European Fiction anthology. Co-Op employee Kate McIntyre will give three 40-minute(…)

The Jackson Park Advisory Council will join representatives from the Chicago Park District to discuss possible landscaping in the park on Monday, May 13. The Chicago Park District is considering a landscaping renovation, potentially funded by a federal program. A spokesperson for the CPD confirmed the work would be federally funded, and said the potential(…)

Gardeners can head to Jackson Park Saturday to learn about caring for the tools of their trade. In a sure sign of spring, the Jackson Park Advisory Council will host a workshop on caring for everything from pruners to shovels. The only thing excluded will be lawnmowers. Don Nekrosius, a master gardener from the University(…)

To the Editor: I oppose the current plan for the development at the McMobil lot on 53rd Street. I am in favor of development at that site in scale with that end of 53rd Street, an area of Hyde Park in which many of us have chosen to live in because we value the scale(…)

To the Editor: As a resident, property owner and business owner in Hyde Park for more than 15 years, I support the proposed 14-story development (i.e., mixed-used development) on the Mobil gas station site. Clearly, I understand the trade-offs associated with aesthetic appeal and return on investment. However, economic development in Hyde Park is far(…)

To the Editor: I have been a resident of Hyde Park/Kenwood for 50 years, and I have seen many changes both good and bad. The proposal for the McMobil development is one of the worst. The developers say that by not providing enough parking they will encourage residents of the apartment building to “walk or(…)

To the Editor: It has been interesting, and somewhat disheartening, to read and hear the resistance to the proposed redevelopment on the McMobil site. To be clear, I am in full support of what has been proposed. I thank and applaud Ald. Will Burns for giving his support for this transformative project, especially in the(…)

To the Editor: There may be a persuasive case to be made against the 53rd Street/McMobil site development proposed by Mesa Development in partnership with the University of Chicago (from whom I draw a paycheck). The flyer distributed last month by neighbors organizing against the plan, however, doesn’t make it. Among the claims and implications(…)

To the Editor: Through reckless school closings set on a fabricated chaos-creating timetable, Mayor Emanuel and his appointed school board have managed to distract us from one important detail about our neighborhood middle school: Canter is not an underperforming school. On the contrary, Canter has outperformed the CPS district average by nine to 19 percentage(…)

RECOMMENDED Where: The Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St. When: through May 25 Tickets: $45-$49 Phone: 312-988-9000 Hershey Felder has carved out a niche and gained a loyal local following with his dramatized musical biographies of famous composers ranging from Beethoven to Bernstein. Now he’s taking his passion for music and its power to(…)

RECOMMENDED Where: Lookingglass Theatre Company, Water Tower Water Works, 821 N. Michigan Ave. When: through May 19 Tickets: $36-$70 Phone: 312-337-0665 By ANNE SPISELMAN Theater Critic If you think a play about a woman with early onset Alzheimer’s disease is going to be sad and depressing, you’d be right. But Lookingglass Theatre Company’s “Still Alice”(…)

By M.L. RANTALA Classical Music Critic The general director of Chicago Opera Theater (COT), Andreas Mitisek, isn’t shy about his role in the recent production of “Maria de Buenos Aires.” He’s credited in the program as “conductor, director, concept, video concept and production designer.” You’d think with a single mind behind so many of the(…)

By Jeffrey Bishku-Aykul Assistant to the Editor A workshop on ancient Egyptian-inspired yoga, entitled “Yoga of the Pharoahs: Candlelight Kemetic Yoga Class,” will be held on the evening of Friday, May 10, from 7:45 to 10 p.m. at Chaturanga Holistic Fitness, 1525 E. 55th St., Suite 302. The free, one-time class on a practice called(…)

By LINDSAY WELBERS Staff Writer The Big Easy, Hyde Park’s Cajun restaurant, closed its doors so that the owner Dave Shopiro can focus on his catering business. “I am doing mostly catering right now, that’s the trajectory the business has been going in anyway,” Shopiro said. Shopiro said his health problems and the struggles of(…)

By Daschell M. Phillips Staff Writer The Ancona School held its 50th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, May 4, downtown at the Chicago Marriott, 520 N. Michigan Ave. Friends and family of Ancona gathered in their finery to celebrate a school that began from humble beginnings to become one of the most sought-after private schools in(…)

By DASCHELL M. PHILLIPS Staff Writer Hyde Park School of Dance (HPSD) is preparing for its 20th anniversary with “En Avant,” a celebration featuring a variety of dance performances this June. In anticipation of the event, HPSD Founding Artistic Director August Tye reflects over the past 20 years and looks forward to many more. “En(…)

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Read This Week’s Herald

From the LETTERS Page

"Dreams of two separate owners swooping in to buy each of these houses and then spending what might well be $1 million each in renovations in addition to the purchase price are not likely to come true."From "B&B proposals a practical choice"

"At the meeting, we could not even discuss how the bed-and-breakfast would be operationalized because the vast majority of attendees at the meeting did not want a bed-and-breakfast under any circumstance."From "Ald. Burns explains B&B decision"

"The university has invested a great deal in Harper Court and 53rd Street to help attract amenities, create jobs and support new business opportunities. As neighbors, we are committed to seeing Hyde Park flourish, now and in the future."From "Clearing the air on Harper Court"

Upcoming Events

Weinstein Weekend. 5:45 p.m. K.A.M. Isaiah Israel, 1100 E. Hyde Park Blvd. Join us for a fabulous weekend of storytelling for children and children at heart with Howard Shwartz. The family services starts at 5:45(...)

Not Just Another Pretty Face: The Unveiling. $35 suggested donation. 7-11 p.m. Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Join us for drinks, bites and the dramatic unveiling of more than 80 new works(...)